Ms. Johnson, who asked the Times not to use her first name, said
her son, who suffered a severe head trauma as a child and also
served in the Coast Guard, wanted to be killed.

"I believe that he turned and pointed the gun at them to make
sure that they would shoot him and he would die," she told the
Times.

She hasn't seen her son in more than 20 years, Ms. Johnson said,
adding that she and her husband learned about the shooting the
same way as everyone else — through the media.

"I know there are a lot of Jeffrey Johnsons in the world and a
lot of Jeffrey Johnsons in New York City, but when they said the
company he used to work for, I just went to pieces," Ms. Johnson
told the Times.

Ultimately, Ms. Johnson doesn't blame police for shooting her son
to death after he killed former co-worker Steven Ercolino.

"I don't blame police in New York for shooting my son because he
killed somebody, but for me, he hasn't changed," Ms. Johnson told
the Times. "He's still the kindhearted, caring person who loved
all kinds of animals and I'm sure he loved us. You know a mother
always tries to look for the best in you."